Cooper Flagg's 51-Point Game Causes Massive Shift in NBA Rookie of the Year Odds

Dallas Mavericks rookie sensation Cooper Flagg isn't letting anyone call the Rookie of the Year race just yet.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft scored 51 points on Friday night in a loss to the Orlando Magic, causing a massive shift in the Rookie of the Year odds with just over a week left in the regular season. Flagg was 19-for-30 from the field and 6-for-9 from 3 in the game, the third time this season he's scored at least 40 points.

🔥 51 POINTS FOR COOPER FLAGG

🔥 MOST EVER BY A TEENAGER

It was also @Cooper_Flagg's 3rd 40-piece of the season, the most by a rookie since Allen Iverson in 1996-97. pic.twitter.com/zJJ4RSBlN9
— NBA (@NBA) April 4, 2026

Flagg's Rookie of the Year appeared to be hanging on by a thread after ESPN's Tim Bontemps released a straw poll of voters that gave 80 first-place votes to Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel and just 20 first-place votes to Flagg. Knueppel has been a key piece for a Charlotte team that is in the playoff mix in the East, and he's had the greatest 3-point shooting season by a rookie in NBA history.

After the poll was released, Knueppel moved from -250 to -1800 to win the Rookie of the Year at DraftKings, setting him up at the clear favorite

Kon Knueppel moved from -250 to -1800 to win ROY today following the straw poll.

This will get interesting … it’s just one game but let’s see if Flagg can have a monster finish. https://t.co/jZGfSBGh6e
— Julian Edlow (@julianedlow) April 4, 2026

Now, those odds have completely changed.

After Flagg's 51-point outburst, Knueppel has dropped to -350 to win Rookie of the Year while Flagg's odds are back up to +240. The Mavericks star is still the underdog in this market, but it seems that his performance on Friday night could end up swaying voters.

Even though Knueppel has been on a better team -- and has been a key part of Charlotte's turnaround -- Flagg has a chance to catch him over the final week of the season.

Knueppel has taken a small step back since the start of March, averaging 17.3 points per game whille shooting 40.2 percent from 3. Those numbers are still great, but they are under Knueppel's season averages.

Meanwhile, Flagg is averaging 21.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game since returning from a foot injury in early March. The No. 1 pick is showing that he's a future All-Star, and it's possible voters may end up swaying in his direction since the Rookie of the Year award traditionally isn't tied to the team's spot in the standings.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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